


One

by theimpossiblepossiblegirl



Series: 52 Short Stories in 52 Weeks [34]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Drabble, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-22
Updated: 2016-08-22
Packaged: 2018-08-10 07:14:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 511
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7835203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theimpossiblepossiblegirl/pseuds/theimpossiblepossiblegirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Doctor reflects on his time with his companions and decides to travel alone for a while.</p>
            </blockquote>





	One

**Author's Note:**

> Week Thirty-four: A story about loneliness

_Lonely [lohn-lee] Adjective, lonelier, loneliest._

  1. _Affected with, characterized by, or causing a depressing feeling of being alone; lonesome._
  2. _destitute of sympathetic or friendly companionship, intercourse, support, etc.: a lonely exile._
  3. _Lone; solitary; without company; companionless._
  4. _remote from places of human habitation; desolate; unfrequented; bleak: a lonely road._
  5. _Standing apart; isolated: a lonely tower._



He had been traveling alone for too long. Rose had always told him he should never be alone. He had loved her, in his own way, and never wanted her to be alone either. He hoped she had lived a good and full life in Pete’s world with the other Doctor. Living the life he never could have. There were ways he could have gone to the other universe, he had figured them out a while ago but could never bring himself to go. He stayed and let himself sulk in his decision.

Martha, well, he had driven her away. He asked too much of her. She had traveled the world to right his mistakes, to protect everyone else. In the end, she realized he would never feel the same about her as she did him and left. They had had a good run. He would never forget Martha Jones.

Donna had told him too. She had kept him out of trouble, most of the time. She always reminded him to think less of a Time Lord and more like a human. In the end, she had wanted to stay and he knew she couldn’t. The pain he felt while he wiped her mind of their memories together. When he left her, he knew he was doing the right thing. Even if it meant he would be alone again.

In a blink of an eye, or a not-blink of the eye, he had lost Amy and Rory. He never should have brought them back to the graveyard. Never should have left them on their own for those few minutes. They had been more than his companions. They were more than he was capable of expressing. He hoped that wherever they had landed they were fine, that they had lived a good life.

Clara. Oh Clara. She had died to protect him, to protect Rigsy. He had tried to save her, try to stop her. But he ended up making things worse. He was able to see her one last time in, even if he couldn’t let her know. She had been through so much, most of it because of the choices he made. After he walked out of the diner he walked back into the TARDIS and closed the doors behind him.

He had seen so many lives lost in his two thousand years, many of which were at his hands. Despite telling Donna all those years ago that he wouldn’t be alone, he knew he should be alone. There would be less pain, less death. He had traveled alone for so long after he regenerated from his eight self to his ninth, after Gallifrey was lost. It had been better that way and would be better again.


End file.
